Girls ignored

Uploaded 12/19/2008

Girls ignored in school ?

I had a not soo good exp with a teacher last week which led me to vent on the following :

Education should be comprehended as a socialization process. Gender is very important in educational experiences and gender stereotyped behaviors and expectations are constantly reinforced in schools. The classroom consists of two worlds : one of boys in action, the other of girl's inaction. For example, there are gender differences in student- teacher interactions. Boys consistently receive more attention from teachers. Research shows that boys call out more frequently, even when their answers have little or nothing to do with the teacher's question. Whether male comments are insightful or irrelevant, teachers respond to them. However, when it is the girls that call out instead of raising their hands, teachers quickly remind them about rules and thus hastily put them back in their place. Being reprimanded one time will not put a psychological scar on the girls. However, this micro-inequity eventually has a powerful cumulative impact.

Even when teachers apply the rules regularly boys are the ones who are noticed more. They receive more praise in schoolwork and better feedback to their answers. Girls tend to be praised more on their looks, appearance , and cleanliness. Teachers are unintentionally and absentmindedly withholding useful feedback from the girls. Reinforced for passivity, their independence and self- esteem suffer.Boys are more likely to be praised, helped, and criticized. In elementary school, receiving attention from the teacher is enormously important for a student's achievement and self -esteem. Girls are not receiving equal learning conditions as those of boys. They lose ground as they go through school.

Another concern is that teachers stereotype students by race. Latino and African students tend to receive " adultification" from teachers. They are often thought as dangerous criminals.Perceptions of race, class, and gender guided educator's assumptions of which students required disciplinary reform. Many minority students from poor backgrounds are thought of as lacking skills and manners. Teachers tended to think of black females as inappropriate ,noisy, and rude thus rules and dress codes were enacted on them most often. Consequently, white and Asian students were viewed as well-mannered and harmless. Have you ever noticed this in school ?